Photo A Day 2008

February 3 ~ 2 1/2 Weeks to Go!

2009-02-03T15:21:00.004Z

It's official - we're two and a half weeks away from Peanut's EDD of February 21st, and we're SO excited. It's hard to believe that these 9 months are almost over; I've enjoyed every single minute of them, despite the nausea and the aches and pains - it's all been wonderful. Now we're looking forward to our little Peanut in our arms to kiss and snuggle.

2008-10-31T15:35:00.001Z

Make a pregnancy ticker

Big News!

2008-08-29T07:21:00.003+01:00

As anyone who looks at my blog might have noticed, I've been conspicuously absent over the last 2 months or so. I have a good reason -- honest! :) And here he/she is:

Our little one is due to arrive February 21st, so I reckon I might be turning my hand to portrait photography after all! I'll have an in-house model, after all. I have added a ticker to my blog to help follow my progress to becoming a mommy :)

Thank you to those who were concerned about me in my absence and contacted me to make sure I was all right. Sorry I didn't spill the beans sooner, but we wanted to wait till this all-important first trimester was behind us and we'd had this first scan. I'm 15 weeks pregnant today!

August 25 ~ It's Been a While!

2008-08-25T21:11:00.002+01:00

For the first time in about 2 months, I've felt up to picking up my camera and trying to create something. Between work and feeling under the weather, my photography (and this blog) have taken a backseat over the past weeks. I have now realized just how rusty I've become since I've been photographically idle, and know that I have to do a LOT of practicing to get any semblance of skill back. At any rate, I enjoyed taking my photo today - it felt GOOD to be using the camera again. It's amazing how fast these little snails can move though, precisely when you don't want them to!

June 21 ~ Puffin Run!

2008-06-22T06:19:00.001+01:00

These are just scratching the surface, but here are my first shots from the 2008 Puffin Run (thanks again to DB for organizing it). We had a tremendous day and a great laugh - already looking forward to next year!

June 15 ~ Peaceful

2008-06-15T17:21:00.001+01:00

Just pottering in the garden today...

Happy Father's Day Dad!

Reworked

2008-06-14T14:53:00.002+01:00

Took my favourite image from last night's portrait session and had another play with it. Thank you for the suggestion Carole - you were right!

June 13 ~ Out of the Dark

2008-06-14T07:38:00.004+01:00

I've not been very good at keeping to the Photo A Day thing of late. Life has been hectic and I've found that every so often I encounter a huge case of photographer's block. Fortunately, we had a practical night at camera club last night, and I got to take photos that were yet again well out of my comfort zone. It was a lot of fun, and thanks to Caz (my partner in crime on the night) and Danielle and Amanda(the models)for a lot of laughs.

Danielle

Amanda

June 10 ~ Vegetarian Vipers

2008-06-10T21:30:00.002+01:00

Inspired by an image of asparagus I saw in a recent magazine, I thought I would give it a try:

June 8 ~ In the Garden

2008-06-08T17:02:00.001+01:00

Took the light tent out into the back garden today to make the most of the lovely sunshine. Found some aquilegia and Welsh poppies to play with:

June 7 ~ Another Rework

2008-06-07T18:05:00.000+01:00

Another reworking of an image, rather than a new photo today. This is my first attempt at adding a texture layer to a photograph, and I think it gives a really interesting effect.

June 6 ~ Mallory Park

2008-06-07T09:41:00.003+01:00

I had a FANTASTIC day! I was lucky enough to be selected by Digital SLR User magazine as one of 4 finalists in their Speed competition. This is the photo that got me my place on the day:

Drove down to Leicestershire early to meet up with the other winners - what a great bunch! We had a superb time - thank you very, very much to DSLR User and Mark Fagleson who was incredibly helpful and approachable and really taught us a lot. What a tremendous experience! We each had to work under incredible amounts of pressure and to very tight deadlines, and produce a portfolio of our 4 best images of the day. Here are 2 of my favourites from my portfolio (I'm sure more will turn up here over the coming days!):

June 3 ~ Still Uncovering Old RAW Files

2008-06-04T06:52:00.003+01:00

Today was another day for unearthing old RAW files that haven't yet seen the light of day. This was taken a few weeks ago during one of my PAD sessions, but didn't make the final cut; I remember opting for a shot of a lone tulip that day instead. Finally had a closer look at this one and now realize I like it, so I've decided to process it. I really need to get back in the habit of taking a photo each weekday - lately I've been so busy on weekends with my photography I've not been inspired enough during the week. This MUST change!

June 2 ~ Vertigo

2008-06-03T06:47:00.002+01:00

Another day, another file processed. This is another photo from Sunday's meet with A, K, E and R. This is the stairwell in Gateshead's Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. I really did feel dizzy while taking this shot - it's looking down from the fifth floor! My shot of the stairwell yesterday was looking up from the ground floor, so not quite so dizzying.

June 1 ~ Faceless

2008-06-01T21:33:00.008+01:00

Had a great wander around Newcastle today with A, E, K and R - thanks to you 4 for a fantastic day, despite the weather conspiring against us. These are my favourites from the day. Our last stop was a small alley filled with chalk graffiti; there are nubs of chalk helpfully left for visitors to add to the wall. Found this little bit of Flex-sized graffiti:

May 29 ~ Waiting For William Tell

2008-05-29T19:22:00.002+01:00

Feeling a bit devoid of inspiration today, so thought I would give today's photo a title that made the image seem a bit more interesting than it actually is.

May 27 ~ More Processing

2008-05-28T07:41:00.003+01:00

Sometimes I go out on a shoot and don't get around to looking through all the RAW files; they just sit on my hard drive and wait for a day when I do have time to look at them and process them. I'm glad I keep them all, and don't delete the ones that one first glance don't look "right" to me. This is one of the files that if I was a deleter may have gone to the big recycle bin in the sky before I processed it:

May 26 ~ Processing

2008-05-26T23:51:00.004+01:00

Today's been a day for processing images from past shoots that I've not gotten round to yet. Some dated from early February! I really need to get on top of things, especially if sales are on the agenda this year. The ones from February were particularly worth it though - I love photographing things in lemonade!

May 25 ~ Rules of the Road

2008-05-25T21:58:00.001+01:00

Oh I do love the seaside!

Went to Tynemouth with C today for a wander round the market and a stroll along the coast. Of course, no summer walk at the seaside would be complete without an ice cream!

May 24 ~ Fragility

2008-05-24T21:20:00.003+01:00

Quiet day today to start the long weekend. Spent the morning at work, then down to the beach with C for a walk (and to play some pinball in the arcade, of course!). I was having a lovely and lazy afternoon, so decided to take the light tent out into the back garden for a little while for a bit of an experiment. Did it work? Unsure. Do I like the shots? Yes.

May 22 ~ Another Night

2008-05-22T22:21:00.001+01:00

This is from a night shoot A and I did about 2 weeks ago - I hadn't gotten around to processing this one, so figured I would have a go at it today as I didn't feel up to taking a photograph.

May 21 ~ By Night

2008-05-22T07:27:00.002+01:00

Met with A, A and H for a lovely meal at a local Italian restaurant - great food, great company, and great laughs. After that, we headed to St. Mary's for some night shots (well, we WERE right along the road from it - would have been rude not to!). I've never taken night shots there before, so am happy to say I have two out of the 10 or so I took that I'm rather pleased with.

May 18 ~ The Bridges

2008-05-18T19:36:00.002+01:00

Met up with A, A and H today on the Quayside this morning for a shoot - had a great laugh and got a few shots.

May 14 ~ Full Bloom

2008-05-14T20:31:00.003+01:00

A beautiful peony in full bloom.

Not much to report today; it's been fairly quiet. I'm still going through images from the last few shoots I've been on, so there may be more photos to come.

May 13 ~ Peony

2008-05-13T21:00:00.002+01:00

Bought some peonies and an allium at the florist's today; I couldn't resist the heady aroma. The pinks and purples look lovely together, too.

May 12 ~ Tea Lights

2008-05-12T20:46:00.001+01:00

A departure from my recent stuff. This is a bit more back to my comfort zone. I've been enjoying my adventures in photography a great deal lately, and believe it or not I found it difficult to return to the comfort zone. Didn't feel quite so comfortable - so I guess my photographic adventures are working!

May 11 ~ More Birds of Prey

2008-05-12T20:45:00.001+01:00

Another from yesterday's shoot at the Ben Potter Bird of Prey Centre near Thirsk, North Yorkshire.

May 10 ~ Intensity

2008-05-12T20:41:00.003+01:00

Travelled down to Thirsk with members of Enjoying Photography for a day photographing birds of prey at Ben Potter's Bird of Prey Centre. What a fantastic day it was!

May 9 ~ Quayside by Night

2008-05-12T20:38:00.002+01:00

A. and I headed down to Newcastle's Quayside for some night shots. Had hoped to have more folks with us so we could have more of a roam - safety in numbers and all that - but due to the following day's outing to Thirsk for the birds of prey shoot, we were the only two brave (stupid?) enough to go out.

May 8 ~ The Last One... For Now!

2008-05-12T20:36:00.001+01:00

The final image I'll post (for now!) from Monday's shoot with A. at Barter Books in Alnwick.

May 7 ~ And Another

2008-05-12T20:35:00.001+01:00

Yet another shot from the trip to Barter Books with A.

May 6 ~ More From Barter Books

2008-05-12T20:34:00.002+01:00

Another from Monday's shoot with A. at Barter Books in Alnwick.

May 5 ~ Reading Room

2008-05-05T21:28:00.003+01:00

Headed to Alnwick today with A for our first shoot at Barter Books. What a fabulous place; a bookworm's treasure trove. It's a virtual Aladdin's Cave, full of volumes upon volumes of books on all manners of subjects. It's a place where visitors are encouraged to pick up a book, curl up in front of the coal fire, and have a good old read. Heaven. Have a look at their website. The first shot is the main reading room, and the second is looking up from my vantage point flat on the floor in the children's area.

May 4 ~ Minuscule

2008-05-04T12:03:00.002+01:00

One single dandelion seed, and one solitary droplet. Had to get in close with my close up filters on my macro lens!

May 3 ~ Purple Rain

2008-05-04T00:45:00.002+01:00

With apologies to Prince!

May 2 ~ Solo

2008-05-04T00:43:00.001+01:00

May 1 ~ Here We Go Again

2008-05-01T20:09:00.004+01:00

Yes, it's more from Sunday's walk around Gateshead and Newcastle.

April 30 ~ Still Processing!

2008-05-01T07:47:00.002+01:00

Still processing shots from Sunday's wanderings. This, along with the "Get Carter" image I posted on Monday, are probably my favourite shots of the day. There is something screaming to me in this image, although silently. The car park is now in its death throes:

April 29 ~ Still More

2008-05-01T07:44:00.003+01:00

Again, no new photos taken today, but new photos from Sunday processed! This is my favourite:

April 28 ~ More From Gateshead

2008-05-01T07:38:00.002+01:00

No new pictures today, but I did get round to processing more from Sunday's trip with A, D and H. These are my 3 favourites of the ones I processed today:

April 27 ~ Open Door Policy

2008-04-27T22:51:00.003+01:00

Had a great day out with A, H and D today. We started off around the Quayside in Gateshead and Newcastle; this shot is of All Saints' Church just next to the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle. After that, A and D and I went to the multi-storey car park in Gateshead which featured in Get Carter. It's scheduled for demolition very soon, and it was open to the public for the last time today. We had to queue for over an hour on the 7th floor to get our hard hats and access to the floors above. It was worth the wait though - shame the weather didn't cooperate. The three of us then wandered around the rest of the car park and attached shopping precinct, all of which is now derelict. We had a great time and came back with LOTS of images. These are of the car park itself:

April 26 ~ On the Cusp

2008-04-26T15:57:00.001+01:00

Almost ready to fall, but not quite.

April 25 ~ Decay

2008-04-26T15:56:00.002+01:00

Who says dead and dying blooms aren't beautiful?

April 24 ~ Red

2008-04-24T21:03:00.000+01:00

No, it's not a squiggle this time! :) Just another droplet image.

This second photo is of a portion of the sea wall at Crosby beach, where we spent some time on Sunday. What a tremendous place that must be in good weather!

April 23 ~ Caught

2008-04-23T21:13:00.002+01:00

Just enjoying the tulips, and playing with droplets again.

April 22 ~ Out On A Limb

2008-04-22T21:03:00.003+01:00

Back to the droplets today, as I found time to stop at the florist's.

April 21 ~ Rework

2008-04-21T22:26:00.003+01:00

Today's photos were not taken today, but they were edited today. A suggested to me yesterday that I have a go at converting a recently tonemapped version of Winding Road into B&W - it's a shot I like very much and although I love my original B&W version for its layers and its softness, A thought converting the tonemapped colour version would give a different feel altogether. As he often is about my photos, he was right. LOL

The next two shots are more from yesterday's Cafe meet at Formby. The first is another red squirrel shot, but the second needs a wee bit more explanation. A and I figured we should bring some toys to play with, and try and tempt the squiggles to them with some peanut butter. Enter the alarm clock. The tree stump it's sitting on was covered with some peanut butter, and we set up cameras and tripods a distance away, ready to capture the inquisitive squiggles. After sitting there for a while, we realized they weren't coming out to play. Oh well.....

April 20 ~ Red Squiggle

2008-04-20T21:18:00.003+01:00

Headed out to Formby near Liverpool today to meet up with members of the Cafe. Got to see my first-ever red squirrels. Had a blast, and got some shots despite a dull and drizzly day. Thank you all for a great time :) Flex says thank you too - he enjoyed his outing!

April 19 ~ Fluffy

2008-04-19T16:54:00.003+01:00

Decided to reshoot this pussywillow, as I love how soft and fluffy it is. This time I passed on the droplet :)

April 18 ~ Green Hare

2008-04-19T16:51:00.002+01:00

And they say you shouldn't play with your food! Perhaps they're right ;)

Please note that this creature is not to be confused with the elusive chare found in the Lake District LOL

April 17 ~ Daffodil

2008-04-17T21:19:00.005+01:00

It's been a hectic day at the office once again. The current economic climate is making things more difficult as people spend time worrying about their mortgages. I'm really looking forward to the weekend; going to Formby to photograph the red squirrels and will be meeting up with several friends. Will be a great way to unwind. Better still, I have Monday off to spend with Chris. I hope the weather's nice; we'll take our cameras and go for a picnic somewhere.

April 16 ~ On A Gerbera

2008-04-16T20:57:00.003+01:00

I am so enjoying these droplet photographs. I love floral photography, and working with my macro lens, but this seems to have sparked something special in me.

April 15 ~ Curled

2008-04-15T20:45:00.004+01:00

I am SO enjoying these photos of droplets. I was about to put these tulips in the bin as they are past their best - but then I took a second look. Boy, I'm glad I did!

I couldn't resist this one either - have been thinking about taking a shot like this for a long time, but never managed to keep the one seed that I wanted. Today was my day.

April 14 ~ Droplet on Iris

2008-04-14T21:40:00.002+01:00

Been wanting to take a photo like this for quite some time....

April 13 ~ Iris

2008-04-13T18:09:00.003+01:00

There is something mesmerizing about an iris; the lines, curves and textures all hold my eye. I just tried to capture in this image what so captivated me.

April 12 ~ Aflame

2008-04-12T17:29:00.001+01:00

Being scheduled to work this morning put paid to any photographic excursions, but I picked up some tulips at the florist's next door to my branch and had fun photographing them. The tulips seem to be alight from within.

April 11 ~ New But Old

2008-04-11T22:43:00.002+01:00

Again, processed RAW files I have never touched before. These are both from this past June's Puffin Run - a now annual tradition on the Cafe and EP. Can't wait for this year's!

April 10 ~ Still Nothing New

2008-04-10T21:47:00.003+01:00

No new image again today, I'm afraid - at least not one TAKEN today. These shots have been processed for the very first time today though - so somehow that counts! They are all from a trip I took with other members of the Cafe to Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire this past July. I've just never touched the RAW files till today.

April 9 ~ Nothing New To Report

2008-04-09T22:37:00.004+01:00

No new photo today, but rather first looks at another 2 shots from a recent Sunday morning out on the Quayside with A.

April 8 ~ Solitude

2008-04-08T21:28:00.002+01:00

Standing tall, on its own.

I've also worked on a couple more shots from a recent outing with A to the Quayside.

April 7 ~ Calla Lilies

2008-04-07T23:31:00.003+01:00

There is something about these flowers that I love. I think it's their air austerity and elegance.

I'm really excited tonight. I went to a talk at Consett Photographic Society tonight given by two of my friends. Afterwards, I was asked if I would give another talk there myself, likely in early 2009. I am thrilled - I gave a talk there in November 2007 and it must have gone down well if they want me back! LOL At least it gives me plenty of time to take new photos :)

April 6 ~ Forked

2008-04-06T15:50:00.003+01:00

Not the nicest weather today, so it's a day for indoor photography. I've been trying to work on some monochrome images for upcoming camera club competitions, so came up with this one.

I also went back into the archives. This shot is from February 2007 and the JPEG lay untouched since then (apart from having been backed up onto a DVD). I just found that my processing skills at that time meant I didn't have an image I was proud of; I knew there was something there though. I have recently read a tutorial on making an HDR-like image out of a single JPEG file and figured it would be the ideal shot to give it a go with. I just opened the JPEG 5 times in Photomatix Pro and then tonemapped it. Voila. Useable image! I'm really quite pleased with it, too.

April 5 ~ Rose-Tinted Filter

2008-04-05T15:51:00.002+01:00

Duckie figures if you can look at life through rose-tinted glasses, a rose-tinted filter should work equally well!

Thank you to A & T for a wonderful visit! It was SO good to see you both - it's been far too long. Let's just hope the next time we meet, the weather is kinder to us and we actually get our cameras out of the bags! Enjoy your week.

April 4 ~ Whispering Campaign

2008-04-05T15:50:00.001+01:00

The chicks are at it again - what gossips! There seems to be some sort of whispering campaign afoot. I wonder what they're saying? Hard to tell - these kinds of messages always get garbled by the end...

April 3 ~ Entwined

2008-04-03T21:18:00.002+01:00

Totally wrapped up in one another.

April 2 ~ Three

2008-04-02T22:42:00.000+01:00

Feeling a bit quiet and contemplative today after a less-than-successful day at work. I figured this image summed up my mood well.

April 1 ~ Prickly Customer

2008-04-01T21:12:00.000+01:00

Hard to get near at times, just like people, but worth the effort.

March 31 ~ Anemone

2008-03-31T20:32:00.003+01:00

Not much to say today. It's been hectic at work but a beautiful day; I made sure to get outdoors for five minutes over my lunch break to enjoy the sunshine. I'm starting to look forward to early May, when I've arranged to join a group of photographers on a birds of prey photoshoot. They did one last year that I was not able to attend, and the shots they got were stunning. I'm hoping to get some half as good!

Just a few days now till A and T are up this way; I can't wait to see them!!

Here are another couple of shots from yesterday morning's shoot with A:

March 30 ~ Rooftops

2008-03-30T20:55:00.004+01:00

Apologies for not posting for much of the past week; it's the end of the sales quarter and work is extremely busy for me. By the time I'd get home, I didn't feel up to taking a photo - lame excuse I know, but true. I'll try to do better this week.

I've learned that getting out of my comfort zone photographically can be fun and rewarding. Today was the start of British Summer Time, so we "sprang forward" and as such lost an hour's sleep. I decided to take advantage of the fact that made sunrise an hour later by the clock and headed out for some shots. These are from the Quayside in Newcastle and Gateshead (which are separated by the River Tyne). I don't usually do cityscapes but have tried some the past two weekends now with decent results.

March 25 ~ Pudding Chick

2008-03-25T19:07:00.003Z

Meet Pudding Chick. He landed on my doormat today, quite literally. Thank you T for the gift - you're right, I love him! He's got pride of place among my ducks and they all have taken to him like.... well, like ducks to water! :D I wanted to make Pudding Chick's first photo dedicated to you and your photographic style, which I admire greatly. Thank you again and I can't wait to see you!

March 24 ~ Film Star

2008-03-24T22:03:00.002Z

Like many film stars, he's very wrapped up in himself!

It's been a lovely long weekend - hope all of you who celebrate Easter had a marvellous time. Those of you who don't, I hope you enjoyed a nice break from work or school. The four day break has done me the world of good; I feel refreshed and ready to tackle the coming months. I don't have any leave at work until the end of June, so this has recharged my batteries nicely. Unfortunately, the weather this weekend was anything but kind to us, so I only had one trip out with the camera the whole weekend, and that was Sunday evening's shoot on Gateshead's Quayside with A. C and I went out Friday morning for sunrise, but never even got out of the car; what looked so promising when we headed out quickly turned into a damp squib. Oh well, there's always next weekend!

March 23 ~ Path to Enlightenment

2008-03-24T21:44:00.006Z

Was convinced by A to go out for sunset and night shots on the Quayside in Gateshead. I'm glad I went, as it's not a type of photography I generally do, but admire such images greatly.
The first image is of the pathway to the entrance of the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art on the banks of the River Tyne. The following images are of the Quayside itself, with its magnificent Millennium Bridge, Tyne Bridge and Sage Centre.

March 22 ~ Physalis

2008-03-24T21:42:00.001Z

Today's photo is a result of a wander in the grocery store the other day. Physalis (or should that be physali? I don't know... ) are fun to photograph, and they taste good too!

I spent much of today editing photos. I always keep my original RAW files and often come back to them months later when I have learned more about editing. These are photos from a while back that I have never processed before as the skills eluded me. Now I've been able to produce final images that I'm really proud of.

The first is of the pier in Whitby, North Yorkshire. I took this almost exactly a year ago, but due to my lack of processing skills the untouched RAW file has been sitting on my hard drive ever since. Next is a photo from last October on my first trip to the Lake District. These are some of the boats lined up on the shores of Derwentwater, ready for the tourists. The third photograph is a shot I took in May 2007 of one of the life preservers at the Fish Quay in North Shields, Tyne and Wear. The last image is of a lookout hut on Roker Beach in Sunderland. I took this in January this year but never did anything with the RAW file until today. Today's image processing has been a lesson to me to not bin my RAW files, ever!

March 21 ~ Glass Rainbow

2008-03-24T21:41:00.000Z

Just in case any of you reading this were wondering, I still have my Ikea vases. Here they are, acting out a rainbow :)

March 20 ~ RGB

2008-03-21T04:50:00.001Z

Just having a play, trying to make something fun.

March 19 ~ Beat the Blues

2008-03-19T20:16:00.001Z

Banish those blues - a whisk will do!

March 18 ~ Emergency

2008-03-19T19:57:00.001Z

I guess sometimes the laundry IS an emergency, although I would NEVER call 999 on account of it (or 911 to those of you in N. America).....

March 17 ~ Asparagus Again

2008-03-19T19:21:00.000Z

Following some very constructive critique from a couple of friends (who know who they are :) ) I have decided to re-shoot the image from Sunday, this time without the distracting stripe of lighter wood in the way.

March 16 ~ Asparagus

2008-03-16T17:54:00.000Z

Not just delicious, they make an interesting photographic subject too! Now where's the cooking pot....

March 15 ~ Aira Force

2008-03-16T11:42:00.004Z

Yes, I'm still here! Have had an extremely busy week at work so unfortunately my photography has had to take a back seat for a few days. Had a great day out in the Lakes with some friends yesterday. Although the weather wasn't great, we tried to make the most of it. Had a LOT of laughs and all raised a glass to C - may he rest in peace.

The top image is the bottom of Aira Force, next is a valley overlooking Ullswater, a view of Ullswater itself, and a shot of Brothers Water.

March 11 ~ The Posse

2008-03-11T20:11:00.000Z

Mini-Me has some new pals. He thinks they look well hard!

March 10 ~ Withered

2008-03-11T20:09:00.003Z

The end of the bouquet, and the end of my floral fine-art images - at least until the next time I get flowers!

HDR Playing

2008-03-09T16:53:00.002Z

I've been working on HDR imaging some more -- here's a couple:

March 9 ~ Sweeping Skies

2008-03-09T10:19:00.003Z

What a beautiful morning! I headed down to the beach as I do most weekend mornings and was faced with this stunning cloudscape. Only one other 'tog there, which surprised me. I have just received a magazine with a discussion of HDR (High Dynamic Range) imaging, and decided to give it a go, following suggestions made in the article. I've got the Photomatix software they recommend, but obviously wasn't using the sofware to its full potential, as I seemed unable to create vivid HDR images. This article's helped a great deal, and this is the first result.

March 8 ~ Basic Ingredient

2008-03-08T15:28:00.003Z

A basic ingredient in many a dish, it smells divine and tastes wonderful. When I broke this clove open to take the photo, the whole room was filled with a gorgeous aroma.

March 7 ~ Above and Below

2008-03-08T15:26:00.003Z

I have so been enjoying this fine-art floral photography. I think I might have found a new genre to love.....

March 6 ~ Under the Gerbera

2008-03-06T21:32:00.002Z

I've really been enjoying this fine art floral imagery; so much so that I've taken two photos today!

March 5 ~ Ranunculus

2008-03-06T07:38:00.002Z

Following on from Tuesday's fine art floral theme, this time with a ranunculus. I'm not as convinced that this one works as well as the gerbera, but that's the nice thing about my Photo A Day project - it allows me to experiment.

March 4 ~ Gerbera

2008-03-04T21:31:00.003Z

Trying a bit of a fine-art style today. It's actually an orange gerbera, but I didn't care for the colour much - it was just the nicest one the florist had. :) I played about with tints and such, and tried a minimalist effect. Has it worked? Opinions always welcome :)

March 3 ~ From Within

2008-03-03T21:21:00.001Z

From within, everything shines with its own little light. You just have to stop, pay attention, and look closely sometimes. Been thinking of all my friends today, who for one reason or another are finding times difficult at the moment. Sending a lot of love to you all - you know who you are.

March 2 ~ New View

2008-03-02T12:59:00.004Z

Some photographic inspiration has arrived at last! Went to a beach I'd never visited before. It's about a mile north of St. Mary's Island where I normally go, and gives a wonderful view of the lighthouse and the rocks along the coast. The tide was coming in, and I loved the calm feeling that washed over me as the waves swept in over the rocks. It would have been nice to have a touch more cloud in the sky for sunrise, but it was a good shoot nonetheless. I will definitely be visiting often!

February 29 ~ What Lies Within

2008-03-01T18:55:00.002Z

Just realized I hadn't posted yesterday's image yet! Took it when I got home from camera club last night and didn't process it till this evening, so here it is. Better late than never, I suppose!

March 1 ~ Incoming Tide

2008-03-01T12:19:00.002Z

Oh dear. The end of February was not a good time for me, photographically speaking. I've fallen off the wagon with regards to my photography, and need to get back on track. Due to a poorly sick computer over the past few days, I've not been about. That and an insanely busy week at work have conspired to mean that I have hardly touched my camera. Here's hoping March won't have any such veering off course.

I managed to get out this morning, but the wind was fierce and there were no clouds in the sky to provide a lovely sunrise. Determined (or should that be pig-headed?) in my determination to get a photo for this project today, I came home with this one.

This is one from last June when I visited the Farne Islands - I just love the pose!

February 25 ~ Plastic Fantastic

2008-02-25T21:33:00.004Z

Not a tacky shot in sight! Models are hard to work with sometimes, but she was a dream. Posed just as I envisaged every shot :)

I feel wonderful today. I had a message on RedBubble from the person who bought my photo. It is to be hung on a kitchen wall to brighten up the room, I'm told. Hooray!

February 24 ~ Waves

2008-02-24T11:24:00.001Z

A lovely and mild morning, but unfortunately not much of a sunrise. At least I managed to find a new location. Went out and met up with D and E this morning and we wandered down to this little cove. The rocks are beautiful down there, and on a morning with a nice sky it could be stunning. Well worth another visit!

February 23 ~ Passing Time

2008-02-23T17:23:00.001Z

Mini-Me is just passing time ...

February 22 ~ Terracotta Soldiers

2008-02-23T17:20:00.002Z

I love archaeology and studied it at university. I've always wanted to see the Terracotta Army, but this is as close as I'll get, I think. Thanks to A for lending them to me :)

February 21 ~ Delicate and Determined

2008-02-23T16:19:00.000Z

The hard frosts of recent nights still cannot prevent this determined new growth. Despite its delicate appearance, it's a hardy little thing.

February 20 ~ Bright and Breezy

2008-02-20T21:05:00.002Z

Bright and breezy summed me up today when I had that email from RedBubble, that's for sure! Nice to see the first daffodil in our garden echoed my mood :)

My First Sale!!!

2008-02-20T07:17:00.003Z

I have made my first sale! Woke up this morning and found an email from RedBubble ( http://www.redbubble.com ) telling me that this print has sold!

I can't believe it! I'm really excited and proud and pleased all at the same time. Never knew that my bumbling around and playing taking my images for my Photo A Day project would ever sell! (This is February 2nd's photo, by the way).

What a start to my day The day just got a WHOLE lot better!

Here's hoping this is the start of something, and not just a flash in the pan.